photos by Shane Karns
DGA members looking for ways to improve and help themselves get ready for their next episodic job, gathered in the Guild’s Los Angeles Boardroom on August 16, for the DGA Director Development Initiative’s third interactive lab, Building Your Team: Agents and Managers. The event was designed to provide an opportunity for the participants to better understand the world of representation and help them establish new relationships for their futures.
Following a welcome by Frank Bennett Gonzalez, DGA Executive in Charge of Diversity Programs and Committees, the attendees learned more about the subject of the day via a panel discussion with Directors Michael Goi (American Horror Story), Jaffar Mahmood (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt) and Rosemary Rodriguez (The Good Wife); Agents Jonas Brooks (CAA), Toochis Morin Rose & Brant Rose (Brant Rose Agency); and manager Dana Jackson (Fineman Entertainment). In a conversation moderated by Director Mary Lou Belli (Pitch), the panelists covered subjects including the art of building a team and the importance of working with representation to further a creative career.
Following the discussion, the attendees broke into smaller groups where they were able to meet with agents and managers including Jairo Alvarado (Circle of Confusion), Sean Barclay (The Gersh Agency), Abe Cohen Hoffing, Jordan Cerfn and Ashley Holland (William Morris Endeavor Entertainment), Sean Freidin (ICM Partners), Jennifer Good and Michael Swidler (Paradigm Talent Agency), Vanessa Livingston (Rothman Brecher Ehrich Livingston), Jarrod Murray (Epicenter), Katt Riley (Kaplan Stahler Agency), and Greg Shepard (Writ-Large). The lab ended with a wrap up discussion and the attendees were free to engage in an informal network session.
You can watch video highlights from the discussion in the gallery below.
DGA members, please log in to view the full discussion from this event.
Members can watch the full video from all of the
Director Development Initiative Speaker Series events by clicking here.
ABOUT THE PANELSTS:
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About the Director Development Initiative:
The Director Development Initiative is designed to provide current information on the Director’s craft in order to further the Guild’s mission to increase the diversity of the industry. This lab featured veteran Directors and other industry professionals sharing their knowledge of how directors can shape their story by understanding personal branding, interpersonal communication skills, the importance of their online image, and professional marketing tools.